My article about Instagram’s Like Hiding PR Stunt at INC Blog
I wrote up a few thoughts about Instagram’s two year like hiding saga, published on the Institute of Network Culture’s Blog.
“…Despite [the media’s] stories from the time heralding Instagram’s [like hiding] tests as evidence of the company’s newfound concern for user well-being, it was always inevitably going to lead to either no actual change, or, at best, an anemic one. This is because Instagram is a corporation whose profit depends on continued growth, fueled by the extraction of user data and the production of ever-rising platform engagement. Visible metrics have been, for its entire history, a key component of this production—I would argue they are the central mechanism responsible for Instagram’s success. …”